This presentation will examine what anxiety is, how it manifests, the individual nature of anxiety presentation, anxiety disorders, and the prevalence of anxiety within the asd community.
Welcome to the first presentation in this series of presentations on Anxiety and autism. Inthis first presentation we will take a general look at anxiety.
So here is a very general definition of anxiety to start with….Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry. These disorders affect how we feel and behave and can cause physical symptoms of discomfort.
Anxiety has been described as a generalised pervasive state of fear and dread. Anxiety is felt both cognitively (thinking & emotions) and physiologically (in the body)–for example sweating and stomach cramps are physical symptoms of stress. When the cognitive and physiological components of stress combine this is known as thePsychosomatic effect. The psychosomatic effect happens when the cognitive (thinking brain) and physiological (the body) both show signs of stress.
Let’s look at some of the physiological effects of stress:
- Sweating
- Tightness in the chest
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Increased muscle tension
- Rapid breathing and breathlessness
- Heart Palpitations
- Increased blood pressure
- Nausea or diarrhoea
Now let’s look at the cognitive or thinking effects of anxiety:
- Fear–Rational or Irrational
- Negative thoughts
- Feelings of Inadequacy
- Memory Difficulties
It’s important to note that everyone feels anxiety to some degree regularly throughout their life.It is a normal emotion, which can be valuable at certain times.
Fear and anxiety are adaptive and helpful emotions that can function to help us notice danger or threat, keep us safe, and help us adapt to the environment.
Now let’s take a look at when anxiety becomes a problem
When the level of anxiety increases to the point that it impacts daily functioning, this is when anxiety becomes a problem.Anxiety disorders represent states when fear or anxiety becomes severe or extreme, to the extent that it causes an individual significant distress, or impairs their ability to function in important facets of life such as work, school, or relationships.
Some anxiety disorders include:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Phobia related disorders
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Selective Mutism
Next we are going to take a quick look at the prevalence of anxiety disorders in people with autism
For example:Researchers at The University of Amsterdam reviewed 31 studies that focused on the presence of anxiety disorders in children under 18 years old with ASD.
They concluded that 40% of children with ASD had at least one co-morbid (diagnosed)anxiety disorder.
The prevalence of specific anxiety disorders in youth withASD were found at the following rates:
- Specific Phobia: 30%
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: 17%
- Social Anxiety Disorder/Agoraphobia: 17%
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: 15%
- Separation Anxiety Disorder: 9 %
- Panic Disorder: 2%
